Electronic device housing

ABSTRACT

An electronic device having a housing which includes a housing front part, a cup-type housing rear member and attachment elements. The housing is designed so as to allow the electronic device to be optionally operated as a hand-held unit or as a stationary-mounted unit in a cabinet door or in a control panel. The electronic device can be configured for use in either configuration without special tools or additional parts. The electronic device housing is suited for use with control panels.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electronic device having anessentially two-part housing which can be used as a hand-held unit.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In automation engineering, particularly in numerical control systems,external control panels, which are often used for inputting controlcommands, are typically connected to the control system by a flexiblecable. This is advantageous when a programmer has to move around often,e.g., in order to observe travel positions when working with a robot, orwhen the configuration of a control system is ergonomically unfavorableor not readily accessible because of space reasons. However, thedisadvantages entailed by the portability of such a control panel are,first of all, that it can easily fall on the floor and become damagedand, secondly, that it is necessary to place it on a stationary supportsurface or to hold it fast with one hand for operator control. In manycases, therefore, it would be preferable to have a stationary-mountedcontrol panel instead of the portable control panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic devicewith a housing which can be operated both as a portable, as well as astationary-mounted device and which can be easily converted from onemethod of operation to the other.

The present invention provides an electronic device with a housingcomprising a front housing part including a front surface, side wallsand a rim, the rim adjoining the front surface of the front housing partand extending out from the side walls of the front housing part; and acup-like rear housing member including side walls, the rear housingmember being adapted to mate with the front housing part so that uponassembly, the side walls of the rear housing member surround the sidewalls of the front housing part, the rear housing member furtherincluding at least one attachment element for securing the rear housingmember to the front housing part so that the electronic device housingof the present invention can be assembled as a hand-held unit, whereinfront edges of the side walls of the rear housing member abut a rearsurface of the rim of the front housing part upon assembly of the fronthousing part and the rear housing member, and so that the electronicdevice housing of the present invention can also be installed in asuitable opening of a plate, wherein the plate is captured between thefront edges of the side walls of the rear housing member and the rearsurface of the rim of the front housing part upon assembly of the fronthousing part and the rear housing member.

The present invention has the advantage that when installing anelectronic device that had previously been operated as a hand-held unit,no additional parts are needed nor are any parts left over. This rulesout the inconvenience entailed in losing any such parts during long-termuse under the same method of operation. A circumferential seal on therear side of the rim on the front part of the housing advantageouslyprevents the ingress of dust or moisture into the electronic device.Operator-control and display elements can be accommodated quite visiblyand favorably in terms of ergonomics on the front side of the front partof the housing. To secure the rear wall of the housing to the front partof the housing, standard commercial screws can be used, which can bemanipulated without a special tool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exploded, perspective view of an embodiment of anelectronic device in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In an exploded view, FIG. 1 shows a front part of a housing 1, a rearhousing member 2, attachment elements 3, and a plate 4. Since the frontpart 1 of the housing of the electronic device is partly hidden by theplate 4, a second housing front part 5 is depicted next to it withdashed lines, in order to make all elements visible. The two housingfront parts 1 and 5 are identical and there is actually only one in anelectronic device. Operator-control or display elements can beconfigured on one front side 6 of the housing front part 5. These areaccessible both when working with an electronic device as a hand-heldunit, as well as in its installed state. Adjoining the front side 6, thehousing front part 5 has a circumferential rim 7, whose rear side isfitted with a seal 8. The circumferential rim 7 juts out past rear sidewalls 9 and 10, as well as past two other side walls that are hidden inthe drawing. Provided on the side wall 9 and the opposite side wall ofthe housing front part 5 that is not visible is a snap-in lockingelement 11 which projects out laterally from the plane of the side walland is flexibly suspended. Points of connection 12, 13 and 14 forexternal lines of the electronic device are provided on the side wall10. The rear member 2 of the housing is so designed in a cup shape thatit can be slid with its side walls, of which merely the side walls 15and 16 are visible in FIG. 1 over the side walls of the housing frontpart 1. To assemble the electronic device as a hand-held unit, the rearmember 2 of the housing is simply slid over the side members of thefront part 5 of the housing, so that the front edge 17 of the sidemembers of the rear member 2 of the housing comes to rest on the rim 7of the front part 5 of the housing. The rear member 2 of the housing andthe front part 5 of the housing can be secured to one another byinserting and tightening the screws 3. The housing rear member 2, whichis now used as a base plate, is provided with rubber feet 18 to bettersupport it on a table surface. To convert a hand-held unit into abuilt-in flush-mounted unit, the screws 3 are loosened, the housing rearmember 2 is removed, the housing front part 5 is inserted into asuitable cut-out of a plate 4, the housing front part 5 is held togetherwith the plate 4 by means of the snap-in locking elements 11, thehousing rear member 2 is mounted on again and secured with the screws 3.When the thickness of the plate 4 and the clearance between the snap-inlocking element 11 and the seal 8 conform, this snap-in locking elementlocks into place advantageously. Thus, the electronic device of thepresent invention can be easily integrated in a control panel or acabinet door. Cut-outs 19, 20 and 21 are so designed in the housing rearmember 2 that external lines can be run to the points of connection 12,13 and 14 both in the installed state as well as in the hand-heldversion of the electronic device.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device housing, comprising:a fronthousing part including a front surface, side members and a rim, the rimadjoining the front surface of the front housing part and laterallyextending out from the side members of the front housing part; and acup-type rear housing member including side members, the rear housingmember being adapted to mate with the front housing part so that uponassembly, the side members of the rear housing member surround the sidemembers of the front housing part, the rear housing member furtherincluding at least one attachment element for securing the rear housingmember to the front housing part so that:the electronic device housingcan be assembled as a hand-held unit, wherein front edges of the sidemembers of the rear housing member abut a rear surface of the rim of thefront housing part upon assembly of the front housing part and the rearhousing member, and the electronic device housing can be installed in asuitable opening of a plate, wherein the plate is captured between thefront edges of the side members of the rear housing member and the rearsurface of the rim of the front housing part upon assembly of the fronthousing part and the rear housing member.
 2. The electronic devicehousing of claim 1, wherein the front housing part includes acircumferential seal arranged on the rear surface of the rim.
 3. Theelectronic device housing of claim 1, wherein the front housing partincludes spring elements arranged on the side members of the fronthousing part, the spring elements being biased to protrude laterallyfrom the side members of the front housing part.
 4. The electronicdevice housing of claim 3, wherein the spring elements provide a snap-inconnection, so that when the electronic device housing is installed inthe opening of the plate, the spring elements grip the plate.
 5. Theelectronic device housing of claim 1, wherein the front housing partincludes points of connection for external connections arranged on atleast one of the side members of the front housing part, and the rearhousing member includes openings corresponding to the points ofconnection in the front housing part.
 6. The electronic device housingof claim 5, wherein the rear housing member is designed as a base plate.7. The electronic device housing of claim 1, wherein the front housingpart houses a control panel of a programmable controller.